Implant for tongue
AssigneeRestore Medical, Inc.
InventorCharles Vassallo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for treating a condition of a patient's airway includes identifying a patient with obstructive sleep apnea and identifying a muscle of a tongue of the patient. A first brace is implanted within the tongue at a first implant location near the top of the tongue. A second brace is implanted within the tongue at a second implant location below the upper location. The first and second braces are connected to compress the muscle group.
Claims24
A method for treating an upper airway condition, said method including:
- identifying a patient with obstructive sleep apnea;
- identifying a muscle of a tongue of said patient;
- implanting a first brace within said tongue at a first implant at an upper location in said muscle;
- implanting a second brace within said tongue at a second implant location spaced below said upper location;
- connecting said first and second braces to resist an elongation of a spacing between first and second braces.
A method for treating an upper airway condition, said method including:
- identifying a patient with obstructive sleep apnea;
- forming an upper incision through an upper surface of a tongue of said patient to define a pocket to receive an implant;
- selecting a brace member sized to be received within said pocket, said brace member having a lower surface opposing tissue of said tongue;
- inserting said brace member into said pocket;
- closing said upper incision;
- inserting a retaining member through a bottom of said tongue and coupling a first end of said retracting member to said brace member;
- and
- securing a second end of said retaining member in proximity to said bottom of said tongue.
An apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea of a patient, said apparatus including:
- a first brace dimensioned so as to be implanted at a first implant location within a muscle of a tongue of said patient below a mucosal layer of said tongue;
- a retaining member dimensioned so as to be implanted within said tongue at a second implant location below said first implant location;
- and
- a connecting element adapted to connect said first brace and said retaining member to resist an elongation of a spacing between first brace and said retaining member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.